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 to federal food benefits beginning Wednesday, April 1, due to changes to work rules for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. 

These changes came as part of HR 1, the massive reconciliation bill signed into law in July 2025. 

Barb Dahl, health and human services director for Scott County, and Rachel Holmes, director of advocacy and community engagement with The Food Group, laid out what people should know in an interview with Minnesota Now host Nina Moini. 

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.

Dahl says under these new rules, more Minnesotans will need to meet the work requirement to receive SNAP benefits. That means spending at least 20 hours a week or 80 hours a month doing one or a combination of the following: working, volunteering, or a job training program.

“Previously, it was 18 to 54. Now, that expands all the way to 64,” Dahl said. “It also now includes parents that have children 14 years of age or older.”

The Minnesota Department of Children, Youth and Families or DCYF says, in total, an additional 

Individuals who do not meet these requirements will only be eligible for SNAP for three months during the window between Jan. 1, 2026 and Dec. 31, 2028.

According to the DCYF, people who meet one of the following conditions are 

The federal government also eliminated exemptions for U.S. veterans as well as people age 24 or younger and were in foster care on their 18th birthday.

For those who may be looking for resources if they have lost benefits, Rachel Holmes with The Food Group says Minnesotans can turn to the state’s “emergency food system”, which includes food shelves, meal programs or affordable grocery programs.

The Minnesota Department of Health has a 

However, Holmes said, the state’s already strained system will not be able to absorb the additional need that may come from these changes.

“Our food shelves are trying very hard,” said Holmes. “But they cannot possibly fill the gap of SNAP cuts or additional folks losing their SNAP benefits.”

 from The Food Group, Minnesotans made 9 million visits to food shelves in 2025 — that’s the fourth consecutive record-breaking year.

Holmes says she hopes state lawmakers will pass legislation this session to provide support to local food shelves.

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Minnesota Now with Nina Moini

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Expanded work requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, could affect thousands of Minnesotans. That has local advocates and county leaders preparing for the impacts.

Counties, food shelves prepare for impacts of expanded work requirements for SNAP

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